Pumping mechanism for automatic musical instruments.



UNITED STATES rice.

SELVIYOR A. SWANSON, OF NORTH TGNA'WANDA, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK.

PUMPING MECHANISM FOR AUTGMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

Application filed May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Srmvrron A. SWAN- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pumping Mechanism for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments which are driven by an electric motor and more particularly to so-called electric player pianos.

It frequently happens that through carelessness or oversight, users or attendants neglect to stop the motor after rewinding or removing the last music roll, in some cases allowing the motor to run all night and incurring a considerable loss of power.

One object of my invention is the provision of simple and reliable means for automatically stopping the electric motor after a roll has been played and rewound, thus effectually guarding against such oversight and loss.

In such instruments it is desirable to provide auxiliary pumps or exhaust devices to be used when playing the instrument automatically. Heretofore such auxiliary pumps have been arranged in the rear portion of the piano case where they are difficult of access. I

A further object of my invention is an improved arrangement of such auxiliary pumps, with a view of rendering them easily accessible for repairs as well as facilitating their installation in the instrument.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly 1n section, of an automatic musical instrument embodying the invention, the front panels or plates of the piano case being removed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the motor pneumatic which controls the switch of the electric motor. Fig. l is an enlarged transverse vertical section on line H, Fig. 2, showing the automatic valve closed.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the customary action wind chest of the instrument, preferably mounted above the key board; 2 the main reservoir; 2 the equalizers and 3 the main suction pumps or feeders which are operated by the customary pedals 4, through suitable connections, not shown in the drawings. As shown, this main reservoir terminates short of the end walls of the frame-case.

5 indicates a valve chamber which, in the example shown, is applied to the front side of the reservoir 2 and connected therewith by a passage 6. This passage is controlled by a sliding or other suitable rewind valve 7, the operating rod 8 of which is connected with the customary key or lever, not shown. The usual main suction chamber of the wind chest 1' is connected with the valve chamber 5 by the tube or trunk 9, the wind chest communicating with the reservoir 2 when the rewind valve 7 is opened and cut off therefrom when said valve is closed, in a well known manner.

10 indicates the'auxiliary suction pumps or feeders and 11' the air chamber or reservoir with which they are connected and on the front side of which they are mounted, as shown. These auxiliary feeders and the companion reservoir are arranged vertically and transversely in one end of the piano case, said reservoir being secured to the adjacent end wall thereof, as shown. 12 indicates a crank shaft arranged transversely in the piano case between the auxiliary feeders and the main reservoir 2 and supported by brackets 13 secured to the ends of the auxiliary reservoir 11, or by other suitable means. The auxiliary pumps are driven from this crank shaft by links 14 while the shaft in turn is driven from an electric or S. A. SWANSON.

PUMPING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILE'D MAY 3, I9I5- \A/ITNEEEEEI INVENTUR v i Q ATTORNEYS:

UNITED STATES pron.

ENE

SELVIYOR A. SWANSON, OF NORTH TONA'WANDA, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TOIJAWANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK.

PUMPING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATL O MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

Application filed May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,395. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SELVIYOR A. SWAN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pumping Mechanism for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments which are driven by an electric motor and more particularly to so-called electric player pianos.

It frequently happens that through carelessness or oversight, users or attendants neglect to stop the motor after rewinding or removing the last music roll, in some cases allowing the motor to run all night and incurring a considerable loss of power.

One object of my invention is the provision of simple and reliable means for automatically stopping the electric motor after a roll has been played and rewound, thus effectually guarding against such oversight and loss.

In such instruments it is desirable to provide auxiliary pumps or exhaust devices to be used when playing the instrument automatically. Heretofore such auxiliary pumps have been arranged in the rear portion of the piano case where they are diflicult of access.

A further object of my invention is an improved arrangement of such auxiliary pumps, with a view of rendering them easily accessible for repairs as well as facilitating their installation in the instrument.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of an automatic musical instrument embodying the invention,the front panelsor plates of the piano case being removed. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the motor pneumatic which controls the switch of the electric motor. Fig. 1 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on line 4-4, Fig. 2, showing the automatic valve closed. 7

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the customary action wind chest of the instrument, preferably mounted above the key board; 2 the main reservoir; 2 the equalizers and 3 the main suction pumps or feeders which are operated by the customary pedals 4, through suitable connections, not shown in the drawings. As shown, this main reservoir terminates short of the end walls of the frame-case.

5 indicates a valve chamber which, in the example shown, is applied to the front side of the reservoir 2 and connected therewith by a passage 6. This passage is controlled by a sliding or other suitable rewind valve 7, the operating rod 8 of which is connected with the customary key or lever, not shown. The usual main suction chamber of the wind chest 1' is connected with the valve chamber 5 by the tube or trunk 9, the wind chest communicating with the reservoir 2 when the rewind valve 7 is opened and cut Off therefrom when said valve is closed, in a well known manner.

10 indicates the'auxiliary suction pumps or feeders and 11 the air chamber or reservoir with which they are connected and on the front side of which they are mounted, as shown. These auxiliary feeders and the companion reservoir are arranged vertically and transversely in one end of the piano case, said reservoir being secured to the'adja'cent end wall thereof, as shown. 12 indicates a crank shaft arranged transversely in the piano case between the auxiliary feeders and the main reservoir'2 and supported by brackets 13 secured to the ends of the auxiliary reservoir 11, or by other suitable means. The auxiliary pumps are driven from this crank shaft by links 14 while the shaft in turn is driven from an electric or other suitable motor 15 by a belt 16 running around the pulley 17 of the motor shaft and a pulley 18 secured to said crank shaft andpreferably arranged in the rear portion of the piano case.

By this arrangement of the auxiliary feeders and auxiliary reservoir, these parts can be conveniently installed and removed for repairs or other purposes without disturbing the crank shaft 12 and driving wheel 18, or other parts of the instrument.

The auxiliary reservoir is connected by a tube or. trunk 19 with a valve chamber 20 which communicates by a port 21 with the main reservoir 2. This port is controlled by a spring-pressed automatic valve 22 of any ordinary construction arranged in said valve chamber. and closing toward the main reservoir. By this arrangement, when the main feeders 3 are actuated by the pedals at the valve 22 closes automatically, cutting off the auxiliary reservoir and its feeders from the main reservoir, while when the auxiliary feeders. are driven by the motor 15, said valve automatically opens, connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the main reservoir and causing it tofact upon the wind chest l through the main reservoir, thus avoiding the necessity of providing separate equalizers for the. auxiliary reservoir.

The motor circuit is controlled by a switch of any suitable construction. That shown in the drawings comprises a block 23 of in sulating' material carrying a pair of opposing contact springs 2st to which the .coriduc: tors 25 and 26 of said circuit are connected, and a sliding switch plug 27 arranged to enter between said springs. Theprojecting stemf28 of this switch plug is connected by links 29ian d30 with a hand lever 31 preferably mounted on the tracker box 32. This switch is also, adapted to be operated auto; matically by a suitable pneumatic 33, themovable board. of which engages the. link 30 in such a manner' that when the pneumatic is collapsed,the switchjplug 27 is opened and the motor stopped. The action of this pneumatic may be controlled by anysuitable or conventional valve mechanism which turn is controlled by a duct 3% of the tracker board 35. This valve mechanism is shown in Fig. 3, where 36 is a block attached to the pneumatic and containing a. suction chamber 37 connected by a tube 38 with the auxiliary reservoir 11. Adjacent to this suction chamber is the valvechamber 39 connected by a port tdwith said suction, chamber and by a port 41 with the outer atmosphere. These ports are controlled by the usual valves 42 and 43, the stem or. which bears against the pouch or diaphragm. 44;. The latter covers the usual chamber a5 with which isconnected a tube 16 leading to the controlling duct This duct is arranged to be coveredv by the usual music sheet 47 so long as the sheet. passes over orremains in contact with the tracker, but is uncovered when the sheet becomes detached from the ihookofthe take-up roll dsIduring thezrewinding ofthe sheet When this 6ccurs,the

outer atmosphere entering said controlling duct, presses the diaphragm 44k in the proper direct-ion to open the suction valve L3 and close the flushing valve 42, thereby collapsing the motor pneumatic 33, opening the switch 27 and stopping the motor. vAs soon as the motor stops, the tension in the suction chamber 37 cease-s and the valves 42, 13 return to the position shown in Fig. 3, flushing and expanding said motor pneumatic, the movable board of which assumes the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the use of the instrument, the operator, after attaching the music sheet to the take-' up roll, closes the motor-switch by means of the hand lever 31, causing the instrument to play.' After the music roll has been played, it is rewound in the usual manner. As soon as it leaves the take-up, roll,it uncovers the controlling duct 34, causing the motor v pneumatic 33 to open' the motors switch and stopping the motor, as hereinbefore described.

This automatic stop mechanism renders it impossible to completely rewind the music sheet or to, remove itwithout at the same time stopping the motor, thus guarding against waste of current in case the operator should forget or neglect to open the switch of the motor-circuit after playing the last Should the operator close the motor-switch without having previously attached the music sheet to the take-up roll, the atmosphere entering the uncovered controlling duct 34L will actuate the pouch 44L, collapsing the motor-pneumatic 33. as before, opening the Swi h n s rr es h m nt,

I claim as my invention:

1. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of the piano-case, the keyboard, a main reservoir arranged below the keyboard and having an equalizer and a pump, said reservoir terminating short of'the end walls of the piano-case, pedals for actuating said pump, an auxiliary reservoir connected with said main reservoir and having a pump, said auxiliary reservoir and its pump being arranged transversely in, the piano-case between one ofit s end walls and the main reservoir, and a motor for said auxiliary pump,

2. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of the piano case, the keyboard, a main air reservoir arranged below the keyboard and having an equalizer anda pump, pedals for; actuating said pump, an auxiliary reservoir connected with said mainv reservoir and arranged transversely 7 against one of the end walls ofthe case, an

auxiliary pump connected with said reservoir, and a motorfor said auxiliary pump.

3. In an instrument of the character described, the combination of the piano case,

the keyboard, a main air reservoir arranged voir, a horizontal crank shaft arranged below the keyboard and having an equalizer transversely between said main reservoir and a pump, pedals for actuating said pump, and said auxiliary pump, an operative con- 0 an auxiliary reservoir connected With said nection between said crank shaft and the main reservoir and arranged transversely auxiliary pump, and a motor for said crank against one of the end Walls of the case, an shaft. auxiliary pump connected with said reser- SELVIYOR A. SWANSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

